This Sunday I participated in a workshop organised by parents of children suffering from Autism in Dehradun. Like me, there were many other participants, who did not have such a child but were there to help. The idea was to formalise a community support network for such children, so that even when parents are not around, the autistic individuals are able to take assisted decisions in their interest. It was truly heart warming to see how a mother of one such child had spear-headed a movement spreading across the country and attracting even overseas support. See the organisation Parivar.
Every now and then, my thoughts would turn to our own issues: will parents of CWS (children who stammer) ever come out strongly in the support of their children, like this? Will PWS ever be able to organise such a meeting in a state capital and attract non-PWS in such numbers? Will they ever be able to see beyond their 'private' suffering, take a proactive role and network with other stake-holders?
I dont know- frankly speaking. But unless these changes come over us, in a sizeable number, chances are we will achieve little and our suffering will remain a 'private' affair. Such suffering, a potential resource, will benefit neither us nor the society in any creative way.
On a very different note, I realised that some of my own recovery from stuttering was related to my involvement with 'special children'. I had started to volunteer at a day care centre for such children. Still later, I had started to take Mewa Ram around, a paraplegic, in a wheel chair as a volunteer. These experiences helped to put my 'speech problems' in a realistic perspective. It opened my heart. Because, frankly speaking, stammering causes us to not only stop communicating, but also to close our heart against the world. This is a deeper malady than poor communication. No amount of speech therpy changes this. Some 'special' child or someone else in need of 'service' can undo this damage, this closure.
Do we want recovery desperately enough? Alas, that is the big question!
2 comments:
If you get the chance, there is an absolutely wonderful documentary movie, called Autism: The Musical.
It chronicles five kids with varying degress of autism who get the chance to peform in a musical. It also tells thier stories. It will touch your heart!
Autism can be treated in so many ways. If diagnose at its early stage the better. There are therapies that can help an autistic child to cope with its surroundings.
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